American Community Newspapers sells Columbus Media Enterprises to The Dispatch Printing Company

PLANO, TX - September 28, 2011 - American Community Newspapers (ACN) announced today that it sold its operations in Ohio, Columbus Media Enterprises, to Dispatch Printing Company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Dirks, Van Essen & Murray, a newspaper merger and acquisition firm in Santa Fe, New Mexico, represented American Community Newspapers in the transaction.

Columbus Media Enterprises publishes Columbus Monthly, an award-winning city magazine; Suburban News Publications, a group of 22 community newspapers serving Central Ohio; Columbus C.E.O., a monthly business magazine; a dozen specialty magazines including Columbus Bride; The Other Paper, a news and entertainment weekly; and a handful of supporting niche local news and information websites.

“The addition of these titles to our niche print and digital portfolio is a very exciting prospect,” said John F. Wolfe, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of The Dispatch Printing Company. “Putting all of these titles under one roof opens up enormous and exciting possibilities for local readers, subscribers and advertisers.”

The Dispatch Printing Company, a privately held, family-owned media organization based in Columbus, OH, owns a variety of print, broadcast and digital news and information companies. The company flagship is The Columbus Dispatch, Central Ohio’s daily newspaper. Other affiliates of The Dispatch Printing Company include WBNS-10TV, 97.1 TheFan Sports Radio, ThisWeek Community Newspapers, alive!, Dispatch Digital (with more than two dozen Central Ohio websites), Capital Style, Crave, Columbus Parent, Fronteras, the Ohio News Network, Radio Sound Network, On Target Marketing/TheBAG, and a large television division.

American Community Newspapers operates multi-faceted media companies in the suburban markets in Dallas, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Columbus, Ohio; and Washington, D.C. The company publishes community newspapers, niche magazines and websites. ACN’s products reach more than 1 million households in these markets.